audiences : xion

[cyclists]

Comments

[cyclists]

[Maybe it's a good thing not to question that yet anyway.]

Yeah. Even after all of that. [There's zero judgment in the tone, but something almost like exhaustion. Maybe sadness. It's hard to say what, exactly, Sol is thinking but they aren't really upset anymore.] ...it was because of all of that I wasn't even sure you'd try to talk to me again anyway.

[...] I'm sorry. [For everything on Saturday, for this game, for...a lot of things, but that's where they leave it.]

[blackcoats]

. . .

Me too.

[ she walks over to them, sand crunching under her shoes, and offers her hand to them. ]

[cyclists]

[They don't move, but there's a sound of surprise when she approaches like they somehow thought she wouldn't. They finally look at her, head tilted down to look at her hand.

...it's slow, but they take it. ]

...you don't have a reason to trust me right now, but...it's going to be alright. I'll fix this.

[blackcoats]

[ only after she helps pull them up does she notice the little holes in the sand, letting out a small squeak of surprise. ]

Were you... looking for shells?

[cyclists]

[Up on their feet, they seem to linger for a moment before looking back at the sand.]

Oh, yeah! [It's hard to see when there's no face, but they sound happy enough.] The one you sent was kind of cool, so I thought...[...thought...what...] We could find some more.

[People are dying but sometimes Sol has their own motivations, too.]

[blackcoats]

[ ...the change in their demeanor gets a tilt of her head. ]

... We can, if that's what you want to do.

[cyclists]

[A hand comes up to rub the back of their head almost sheepishly. The hood somehow stays on.]

I...kinda want to make it up to you. For last week. No work, no arguing, just...talking. I think I promised you that much anyway.

[To talk and try to answer questions when she was ready, they mean.]

[blackcoats]

. . .

Thank you, Sol.

[cyclists]

[A nod...and then they turn and begin to walk, gesturing for her to follow. Come on. Time to walk down the beach and find shells.]

...I shouldn't have said it to you the way I did. It sort of just came out that way. So...I get why you were mad.

[blackcoats]

[ she follows behind them for a few moments, before making the decision to keep up with their pace and stick by their side instead. ]

Well, I didn't get it at the time... but I know now that you were just trying to help as much as you could. We all have things we can and can't say, as much as we want to.

[cyclists]

[That's better at least. The pace they set is leisurely and doesn't seem too hurried at the moment.]

When Lune and I first got our assignments, we were told that we can help but we can't meddle. So even if there are things we know, we aren't always allowed to say yet. But there's still a lot we don't know and we're learning about. It's just as frustrating for us as it is for everybody else.

[It's why they sometimes tolerate people being really angry.] ...it sort of feels like keeping it a secret, but it's a secret we want to tell. Does that make sense?

[blackcoats]

It does. That's... a feeling I know a little too well.

[ she lets the sound of the waves rolling in the distance fill the air before turning to look at them, still careful to watch her step. ]

What kind of things are you allowed to say?

[cyclists]

Well...[Hm.] We're allowed to talk about how the corruption's manifested so far...and about what can happen to a person if it's not removed from them. And about the gateways? [What else might be useful?]

...we knew exactly what happened between Tsurumaru and Mary. But we couldn't tell any of you.

[blackcoats]

[ the mention of mary's name has xion flinch with a hint of guilt. ]

... Why not? What would have happened if... if we were wrong?

[cyclists]

Something really bad. We don't know the exact details, but that darkness in her would have grown and continued changing her. ...it would have hurt her even more if we left it alone. That's the problem.

[There is no kind solution yet. ]

[blackcoats]

So no matter what, we... still would've had to...

[ . . . she doesn't want to finish that sentence. ]

[cyclists]

Mmhm. [A noise of confirmation isn't the same as saying the words so it's fine. ] We're trying to find another way, but the instability is moving faster than we are.

[blackcoats]

What do you mean, moving faster...?

[ she takes this chance to crouch down at their position and start poking through the sand. ]

[cyclists]

It's like...it's like it's growing out of control and has been since before we even got here. Lune and I were called because the instability had already started. Then there were a few weeks between then and when you all arrived.

[Down in the sand they go, digging with their hand.] If we could at least find another angle to come from, we might be able to stop it before it rows in another direction.

[blackcoats]

And... that's why we're here? To find that new direction?

[ ... excuse her for a second or two, though, as she marvels at how sand actually feels between her fingers; she's only ever searched for shells previously with her gloves on. ]

[cyclists]

Uh huh. [They seem to be watching her from under that hood still.] But I don't think that should be your only job here. Since you're here, and there's lot of other people, everyone should be trying to get along and work together...learn new things...stuff like that. If we have the chance, why not?

[blackcoats]

[ good thing she's a sora which means she doesn't notice them creepily staring at her. their words are what catch her attention instead, as she lets grains of sand fall from her hand back to the earth. ]

I want to. But at the same time... I'm scared to get close to anyone. What if they end up being someone the darkness corrupts? What happens if I'm one of those? I... I can't let that happen.

[cyclists]

It's pretty scary, but...I kind of think of it like being able to make memories with people in the time we have with them, even if there's that chance. Like...maybe if they have those same memories of us, too, that will protect them or save them from the darkness.

And not getting close to people sounds pretty lonely anyway.

[blackcoats]

...!

[ she stops sifting through the sand to turn her head and look at them in surprise... which quickly turns soft and warm. ]

That's a... really nice way of looking at it. Just hearing that makes me feel better about all of this.

[cyclists]

Yeah? [They seem to perk up, happy with those results as they dig through the sand. No shells here, but they're just moving sand around in little piles.]

This isn't a fun situation, but at the same time I don't think we should only be focused on the bad. [They unearth a very small, white shell.] Some people here are really nice. I think they're worth getting to know.